Threat Assessment
by Shakespeare's Lemonade
Summary: Steve is great with threat assessment, always alert, but somehow he doesn't see this coming; somehow he has a blindside. That's where Danny comes in. For the UFF one hour challenge based on the word "threat." Oneshot.


Threat Assessment

Shakespeare's Lemonade

Rating: T

Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Friendship/Family

Summary: Steve is great with threat assessment, always alert, but somehow he doesn't see this coming; somehow he has a blindside. That's where Danny comes in.

A/N: this is from the UFF one hour challenge. Today's word is "threat." I'm not sure how this came out of that. It was written in about 45 minutes. It's not related to anything else I've written, but it's set probably a few weeks after the season 2 finale. I decided I would write something to try to get back into the swing of things. Maybe this will lead to new chapters in other things...

_Threat Assessment_

Maybe it's the way he thought it would be easy. He tries to avoid thinking that way at all, but it's been a long week. Hell, it's been a long two years. Maybe he isn't as on top of things as he seems to always think he is.

Maybe he should have sensed the threat. He tells himself that he would have noticed on a normal day. This should be a normal day, but nothing is normal anymore. He hears the gunshot as he feels something hard slam into his body, sending him to the ground. He's up before he can think and shooting at whoever just shot at him. Some part of his mind must register that Danny just saved his life. And some part of him must realize that he shouldn't have had to.

The guy is dead before he hits the ground, and they take care of business as usual. Danny makes some joke that Steve doesn't really hear. Why the hell is he so distracted? He tries not to think about it as they drive back to the Palace to file the inevitable paperwork that comes with shooting someone. But Danny is having none of Steve's usual avoidance.

"Something wrong?" he asks. He's not looking at Steve, like it's a casual question.

"Nope." Steve also keeps his eyes on the road.

"Oh, because I was thinking you running into an alley after a suspect without even looking around was a bit odd. Just a bit. You know, nothing that could possible ever cause any problems or anything like that. Maybe—"

"Will you shut up?" Steve turns his head briefly to see Danny make eye contact. "I was a little distracted. Won't happen again."

"Oh." Danny shrugs. "So the fact that I need to remind you of your line after I save your ass...?"

Steve sighs. "Thank you. Happy?"

"When I'm not around you. Anyway, this couldn't have anything to do with your mom, could it? And you're welcome by the way."

"You sure pack a lot of words into one sentence."

"And you, my friend, are an expert at avoiding the main point of my sentence."

"That you're glad you saved me? That's so sweet."

"Steven. I asked you a question."

"And I decided not to answer; it's a free country."

"You know, now I get why she left."

Steve's foot hits the breaks before Danny can brace himself, and he bangs his bad knee against the dashboard. They come to a stop much sooner than they should have, and Danny tells himself to remember to have the tires checked. Then the other shoe drops.

"What did you say?" Steve's voice is so strained that Danny can hear the effort it takes for Steve not to strangle him. He can see the tendons in Steve's arms, so tense that he thinks Steve might snap the steering wheel into three jagged pieces and use them to stab Danny do death.

But he doesn't do that. He gets out of the car and walks around it to the side of the road. He looks like he's going to walk the rest of the way. It's only a few blocks. Danny gets out and follows him.

"Hey!" he shouts because the traffic is so loud around them. "Steve, listen to me."

The fist comes out of nowhere. Steve always has such control, so Danny doesn't expect this. Nevertheless, he's on the ground. His mouth is bleeding. It takes a second for his vision to stop swimming. He looks up, and Steve is standing over him, looking about ready to shoot Danny. He's never seen him this angry at anyone. Not Hesse, not Jameson, not Wo Fat.

Danny realizes that he's made a mistake. He wanted a reaction, but this was not what he had in mind. He thought Steve would take it as a calloused, insensitive joke, not a calculated insult. But it was calculated, and in many ways, it was an insult. That wasn't the point though. Danny didn't really think Steve's mom had left for any other reason that the fact that someone was trying to kill her. But maybe Steve did.

"You really think she'd do that?" Danny says before he can stop himself. "You really think any rational human being would leave her children unless she had to? Steve, your mom loves you, and she's been waiting for a chance to prove that, to make up for everything she did to you and Mary while you avoid her, pretending you have to do your job, which you've been doing rather poorly lately, I must say."

In the midst of his speech, Danny gets up and dusts off his clothes, trusting Steve not to lay him out again. He wouldn't really blame him if he did.

"Why?" Steve's voice is now echoy, hollow. "Why would you say that?"

"Why? Because I don't think things before I say them. Because I was tired of you avoiding the issue. Because I next time, _I might not get there in time_, and I'm _not_ going to tell your mother that I lost you."

Steve doesn't say anything to that. He seems to be searching Danny's face for something. Or maybe he's just staring without seeing. Time seems to stand still. The noises of the street fade away. Danny watches his friend, waiting for some kind of response.

"I need to go home," Steve finally says.

Danny nods. "I'll take care of the paperwork." He smirks. "As usual."

They get back in the car, and Danny ignores the fact that Steve takes it to drive back to his own house. He's just glad Steve's going to deal with what's been bothering him. And that he didn't get his head blown off today. That's a definite plus.


End file.
